Profile Folgen

It's Barcelona versus Madrid...and we're not talking football.Spain is facing its biggest political crisis for years....the autonomous region of Catalonia considering breaking away from the rest of the country. Mark Coles profiles Spain's right wing Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy, as he goes head to head with the Catalan President to try to stop it happening. The programme examines his Galician roots and his grandfather's role in wresting power from the Spanish state back in the 1930s. We follow Rajoy's rise to power, hear about the setbacks - two accidents that nearly that nearly claimed his life - and why the 2004 Madrid terror attacks came close to ending his political career. Producer Smita Patel. Researcher Beth Sagar-Fenton Editor Penny Murphy.

This week the Chief Whip will deliver a major speech at the Tory party conference, just before the Prime Minister takes the stage. But who is Gavin Williamson? Mark Coles looks at the life and career of the Yorkshire man who knows about pottery, loves hedgehogs and keeps an eight legged pet on his desk in parliament. And some say, has his sights set on higher political office.

On Profile this week, we look at the life and career of the world's top diplomat - the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres.When he opened the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, the 68 year old former Portuguese Prime Minister warned the world was in danger, "in pieces" and needed putting back together again. So, who is he and how does he plan to go about it ? Mark Coles talks to childhood friends, political colleagues past and present - even Portugal's President - who help explain the events and personal tragedies that have shaped Guterres and led him to take on arguably the most difficult job on the planet. Floods, cancer, Catholicism, chocolate and cheese...everything you need to know about new UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, on Profile this week.